As researchers work on solving the complex puzzle of all the factors that influence flu vaccine effectiveness (VE), researchers today report that low VE of the H3N2 component during the 2012-13 flu season may have been due to poor immune response rather than adaptations in egg-grown vaccine viruses, as previously thought.
The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed one new case of MERS-CoV on Feb 17. The MOH has issued only sporadic updates this month, and this is the second update in 3 weeks.
A 74-year-old Saudi woman from Rafha was diagnosed as having MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus). She is in stable condition. The probable source of her infection is indirect contact with camels, a likely risk factor for the virus.
H9N2 avian flu typically circulates in birds as a low-pathogenic strain.
China has reported the world's first known novel H7N4 avian flu infection in a human, according to a report today from Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP), which based its information on a notification from the mainland's National Health and Family Planning Commission.
China has reported another H7N9 avian flu infection, marking only the third case of the sixth wave of illness activity that began in October, according to a report today from Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP).
Iraq is battling another H5N8 detection, and in South Korea, H5N6 was found on another commercial farm.
In a joint statement today the World Health Organization (WHO) and South Korean health officials issued public health recommendations for people attending the upcoming winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang.
A UK outbreak involves swans from a flock owned by Queen Elizabeth at Windsor.
Flu activity is still high in the Northern Hemisphere's temperate-zone countries, with a few countries now reporting hospitalization and intensive care unit admission levels that top previous seasons, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in its latest global flu update. Adults ages 65 and older are the hardest hit groups in both Canada and the United States.
Today the French pharmaceutical company, Sanofi Pasteur, said they would not pay the Philippines millions of dollars in return for Dengvaxia vaccines, after the country halted a national vaccination program in light of concerns the vaccine can cause severe infection in dengue-immune recipients.
